Ladies of London Season-Premiere Recap: Sirs and Madams

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I’m incredibly excited about this show’s reboot! Just one episode in, and a friend’s house – the one actress Margo visits, which costs £4,500 a night – was featured. I’ve actually been to dinner parties there, not as a renter, but as a guest of the owners themselves. I’m wondering why I haven’t been asked to be on the show! Now that they’re including men, shouldn’t I be the American counterpart to Mark-Francis?

I’ve lived in London for eight years and recognize some of the filming locations, but the places shown aren’t really where I spend my time. I live in East London, an area that’s traditionally been working-class but is now known for its trendy vibe and diverse community. Luckily, I’m close to the Elizabeth Line, which quickly takes me to Paddington – and the wealthier, more central part of town where the show’s characters seem to live. (As the show itself keeps repeating!)

Okay, so the first two episodes totally grabbed me! There’s a ton of drama, everyone has such distinct personalities, and the locations are gorgeous. But honestly, the best part is getting to know all the people involved – there are a lot of them! Let’s dive in and meet the whole crew, shall we?

Martha Lady Sitwell is quickly becoming the most memorable personality on the show. She’s incredibly wealthy and upper-class – imagine a million Victoria Beckhams crammed into a tiny car! She grew up with privilege, has been married to two rich men, and now lives in a rundown, though charming, cottage she jokingly calls a “grottage.” In England, it’s a classic aristocratic situation: a prestigious title and social connections, but very little money. What makes Martha so compelling is that she embodies a familiar archetype while still being uniquely herself. I find her both incredibly endearing and slightly terrifying – a bit like how Katy Perry might feel around lawyers representing strict religious orders.

I just adore Martha and her life, it’s wonderfully chaotic! She shares her wonderfully dilapidated house with a magpie named Hecate, who is absolutely nuts but I love her anyway – even if she does leave little presents everywhere. It’s funny, though, because in England, seeing a single magpie is considered bad luck, like a black cat. You’re actually supposed to greet it – yes, out loud – with “Hello, Mr. Magpie, where is your lady wife?” to ward off the bad luck, because it’s believed they always travel in pairs. Honestly, why it’s always ‘Mr. Magpie’ is beyond me – seems a bit unfair! And it all makes sense now, really. Poor Martha gave £300 to a guy she met in the park to paint her house, and he’s completely vanished. It’s clearly Hecate’s fault, attracting all that single magpie energy and chaos! I just can’t get enough of it.

Emma Thynn, the Marchioness of Bath, comes from an aristocratic background, even higher than Martha’s, thanks to her husband’s title. Her husband, Ceawlin Thynn, is the Marquess of Bath, and their estate is located closer to Bristol and Wales than to London, though everything in England is relatively accessible. Interestingly, she’s the first Black aristocrat in England. I’ve never visited Longleat, their impressive home which also includes a zoo and safari park, but I’m planning a trip now! The idea of touring a grand house and seeing a rhino on the same day, just 90 minutes by train, sounds like a perfect day out. Emma clearly brings wealth and sophistication to the show, and I’m eager to learn why she decided to participate in the first place. I’m sure we’ll find out soon.

Mark-Francis Vandelli is a reality TV veteran, having been on Made in Chelsea for many years. Made in Chelsea is similar to The Hills – it’s polished and highly produced – but features very young, incredibly wealthy people from London’s most exclusive areas. He seems to be the person who connects everyone, and he has a uniquely British sense of humor – playfully insulting, but clever enough that it’s funny. He’s particularly good at giving on-camera interviews, and I’m really looking forward to meeting him and having a witty conversation.

Okay, so Margo Stilley is an actress you might remember from that… interesting indie film, 9 Songs. It was basically a movie about a couple going to gigs and, well, being intimate – and it wasn’t acting for either of those parts! It caused a huge stir, but critics hated it. She spent two decades living in London before moving back to Malibu, and now she’s filming a new show called The Trip with Michael Winterbottom – the same director who did 9 Songs. Apparently, her $50,000-a-month place isn’t being paid for by the show, which is…intriguing. But honestly, Margo deserves credit for starting the best rumor of the whole thing: that Dara is running some kind of… operation. It’s totally based on hearsay – something she overheard at a party – but those are always the juiciest, and I’m happy to spread it!

Lottie Kane is currently presented as a quiet, proper Englishwoman, but her life is full of potential for excitement. She comes from a wealthy tech family, is married to a fashionable tailor, and is expecting a baby. We haven’t learned much else about her yet, but I suspect things are about to get interesting.

Kimi Murdoch is a skilled assassin who’s lived in London for so long, her accent has become a unique mix of American and British – almost as if it’s floating somewhere in the Atlantic. She’s an American heiress, originally from Haiti, and a mother to twins named Amadeus and Mimi, a name choice that feels a bit too similar to her own. Kimi prefers life in the U.K. because she feels less judged there. She jokes that you can order Champagne at 11 a.m. in London without raising eyebrows, but the reality is that while the English may not openly criticize, they’re often just as judgmental as anyone else. Kimi herself has become a blend of both cultures – she’s happy to judge and isn’t afraid to say what she thinks, making her a great fit for television.

Myka Meier is an American woman whose husband works in private equity. She teaches etiquette to people in England – a somewhat unusual role – and she’s a University of Florida graduate. While Londoners might not recognize the university, readers likely will. Her close friend, Dara, appears to have a complicated relationship with her, and doesn’t seem to like her very much.

Dara Huang is an architect with a complicated connection to the British royal family – her ex-partner is now married to Prince Andrew’s daughter. She left the show after just two episodes, and it seems the main reason was another contestant, Missé.

Missé Beqiri is a Swedish model and mother to children with both a soccer player, Anders Lindegaard, and reality TV star Jake Hall (from the show The Only Way Is Essex). For those unfamiliar, TOWIE is a British reality show similar to The Hills, but featuring people from a region known for being a bit like New Jersey. It’s often described as a more flamboyant version of Made in Chelsea. Missé also appeared on The Real Housewives of Cheshire, which showcases the lives of wealthy and sometimes ostentatious people in an affluent area near Liverpool. This background explains why she’s so adept at confronting Dara – she skillfully used something Dara said in a group setting and repeated it directly to her, right at a dinner party Dara was hosting.

Let me tell you, the early drama completely revolves around Dara, and it’s… messy. Someone starts a ridiculous rumor that she’s a madam, and honestly, her reaction is perfect – total indifference. Getting defensive would only fuel the fire. (And just to clarify, while sex work is largely legal in the U.K., running a brothel isn’t.) The jokes fly, and while I think a lot of it stems from disbelief – it is a very British thing to do, make a joke out of something shocking – it’s still deeply uncomfortable that the sole Asian woman in the cast is the target of these accusations. It doesn’t stop there, either. Even when Dara throws a dinner and introduces friends who are clearly part of her network of successful women, the whispers continue. Honestly, I suspect if she hadn’t left the show right after filming this, the editors might have been kinder. But that’s the risk you take when you jump ship before the season even really begins.

Missé shared that she used to be reserved, but past experiences with men have led her to be more outspoken. This feels like something a TV producer suggested to explain why she’s repeating private conversations – specifically, things Dara said about their mutual friend, Myka. Missé and Myka were college roommates at the University of Florida, and Myka thought of Dara as her best friend. However, Dara confided in Missé that she found Myka embarrassing and disliked a gift Myka gave them – hot pink walkie-talkies to communicate at work, since their offices are on the same floor.

During dinner, Missé brought up a previous conversation, but Dara immediately denied saying anything about it, repeatedly insisting she just wanted a pleasant meal. When Myka asked to discuss it privately, Dara dismissively shut her down with a kiss and walked away to talk to a producer, admitting she had said those things, likely hoping it wouldn’t be shown on TV. She then returned to the table and again denied everything, which upset Missé, who felt accused of lying. This, combined with a previous awkward conversation, led Dara to repeatedly ask for filming to stop, claiming she wasn’t suited for reality television – and it was clear she wasn’t. It was a first to see someone quit on camera, and it was captivating to watch her change her mind so quickly. Dara had envisioned a gathering of entrepreneurs, and her attempt to highlight everyone’s privileged backgrounds was interesting, but instead, she found herself surrounded by people interested only in drama and gossip, even before the appetizers were served. I was thrilled to see this unfold in my city.

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2026-03-06 23:59